Musical Notes

Do you listen to music while working? As in being at work, at your workstation with either headphones or desk speakers listening to your favourite jams while doing your daily duties?

I can't do it! It's distracting; I end up typing the words of the song that's playing while I am suppose to be typing important work stuff.

Although, I do enjoy music while doing other work like chores.


Daily I am faced with my team members listening to music; some so loud that I can even hear it despite the fact that it's through ear phones!

As a person in the position where I manage people I do find it most annoying when speaking to my workforce and not getting a response only to discover that the person didn't hear a word I said because of the music playing in their ears. I then have to repeat my request.

I'm sure there are many benefits to listening to music while working but I am almost certain that the benefits can only be seen if the right music is played? Or what??

I mean, how productive can you be when you're listening to loud heavy metal?

"Musicologist Julius Portnoy found that music can change metabolic rates, increase or decrease blood pressure, effect energy levels, and digestion, positively or negatively, depending on the type of music. Calming music, such as classical music was found to have a very calming effect on the body, and cause the increase of endorphins, thirty minutes of such music was equal to the effect of a dose of valium."

Apparently it is not the lyrics/the words of the song that has an affect but rather the melody. This is true...there are many songs that I like but only after listening to it a few times do I really start to think deeply about the words. In fact there are many songs that don't really make much sense at first but you don't care because the tune is cool. Like the Owl City song for instance that goes "Cause I'd get a thousand hugs, From ten thousand lightning bugs, As they tried to teach me how to dance…."

When I was pregnant, my obstetrician suggested I listen to classical music because it stimulates the growing baby in my womb. I purchased Classics for my Baby. I never was that big of a Mozart, Beethoven et al fan but after listening to it I can feel the effect it has.

Classical music or the right kind of sound (for you) can relax your mind, hone your focus, drown out distractions and get you pumped to slaughter your to-do list.

So what is the right kind of music to play while working? I came up with these:

1. Classical Music (Mozart, Beethoven or any Baroque Classics)
   
2. Ambient Sounds (Buddha Bar, Zen or anything oriental)
   

I choose these genres or just the sound the office generates like the fax, kettle, printer, phones, typing, laughing, sneezing, cellphones etc etc

Now, my dear colleagues how can you guys get anything done with the music you are listening to? Mr. Petersen, Ms Michaels are you really productive and effective in completing tasks with your head filled with loud music?

I think it could actually be hazardous because you might just miss a fire alarm, or the receptionist being shot by a malicious intruder or an irate FSMS subscriber (my colleagues will know what I mean) or an important alert from a colleague that the big boss is on his way and you need to close FB or stop dancing in your chair and more importantly if a co-worker or manager needs your attention and finds it difficult because you can't hear. We might as well recruit someone from the deaf community who would appreciate the job because it is sort of like dealing with someone who is hard of hearing!
No offence to the deaf members of society, I mean this in the nicest possible way.


I'm certain that being allowed to listen to music does improve your job satisfaction but choose your playlist wisely so as not to irk your co-workers or land yourself into trouble for missing important alerts. 

Music washes away from the soul
the dust of everyday life. 
~Berthold Auerbach